Publication of National Strategic Plan for Early Detection
and Control of Breast and Cervical Cancers

CDC has released The National Strategic Plan for the Early
Detection and Control of Breast and Cervical Cancers (NSP) (1), a
collaborative effort by the Food and Drug Administration, the
National Cancer Institute, and CDC, with participation from public,
private, and voluntary organizations. The NSP identifies the
strategic elements needed to recruit women into breast and cervical
cancer screening and follow-up programs and to guarantee
high-quality tests. The NSP requires integration of resources from
the Public Health Service, state and local health departments,
professional organizations, health-care providers, voluntary and
community organizations, and consumers to achieve and surpass the
national objectives for breast and cervical cancer for the year
2000 (objectives 16.3 and 16.4) (2). Although the NSP recognizes
the entire continuum of primary prevention through treatment and
recovery, it focuses on early detection.

The NSP identifies five program areas: 1) integration and
coordination -- providing better access to screening services and
closing gaps in follow-up services; 2) public education -- ensuring
that women are aware of the value of screening and sources of care;
3) professional education and practice -- addressing educational
needs of health professionals to ensure effective screening and
appropriate follow-up; 4) quality assurance for cancer screening --
ensuring consistent, high-quality cancer screening throughout the
entire process of obtaining, interpreting, and reporting mammogram
and Papanicolaou test results; and 5) surveillance and evaluation
--
assessing whether programmatic efforts are increasing the number of
women screened for these cancers, identifying cancers earlier, and
reducing mortality.

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